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rkkwan's CoachFlyer report: CO IAH-AMS, CDG-IAH

I got off work a little early last Friday and arrived 5:18p at Terminal E, 2 hours prior to my 7:15p flight. BP printed, no bags to check. I used the non-Elite security line (don't ask why), and got through in 7 minutes. There were about 20 people ahead of me, but line moved fast. Other than all people needing to remove footwear (even sandals), there was hardly any difference compared to before 8/10.

With two hours to spare, I headed to the IAH favorite, Pappadeux, to have dinner before the flight. For us CO flyers, flying out to Europe from IAH is a much more leisurely experience than from EWR.

Boarding

Boarding had already started when I got to the gate 6:40p. The 767-400 was about 80% full in coach (40 empty seats out of 200), but still lots of overhead space on CO's new 767s with extra-large bins for my new 21.5" Skyway rollaboard. New security requirement also helped. I had seat 17D, inside aisle in the 2nd row, and 17E was open. Pillow, blanklet and headphones are packed in a sealed bag.

Flight technicals

The 767-400 is N67058, the 8th of CO's 16 767-400. Delivered new Jan 2002.

Door closed 7:12, 3 minute early. Push back 7:20, and we took off Runway 9 at 7:32p. It was a bumpy ride all the way across the Atlantic, via a relatively southern route, going almost straight east from Nova Scotia. Touched down at AMS 11:40a next morning, and we arrived gate 11:54a, 1 minute early, after a long taxi. This is as textbook as one can get.

Inflight

For a change, the personal A/V screens were working for everybody. I even watched Da Vinci Code, which was just loaded for September.

Dinner was unremarkable, as usual. But at least edible, and better than my last IAH-Europe flight 2 years ago. FAs walked around with water very frequently.

CO's 767s have 32" pitch in coach, and I really find them quite acceptable. With the center seat open, I could spread out a little and had some good sleep.

Breakfast was really disappointing. It consists of one croissant with some jam, 3 small pieces of oranges and one grape. No yogurt, no cereal. It's a disgrace. But with a noon-time arrival, I guess most passengers will go get lunch soon after.

AMS

It's a real delight to use AMS. CO and most US airlines use Pier G in the far "left" end, but I deplaned at 12:00, got to immigration at 12:06 after walking on a series of people movers, and was in Schipol Plaza at 12:08. It's a real model of airport efficiency that is unsurpassed anywhere. [Even newer, well-acclaimed airports like HKG can't compare.]

[First, want to say something about getting to CDG from Paris. I was planning to use Metro/RER, 8.1€; but last minute change of itinerary put me at l'Etoile, so I use Le Cars Air France, 12€. This is so much better, in my opinion. No stairs, one ride, and drop off right at terminal, not the train station. It's also fast midday. 10:15a bus arrives at CDG2A/C 10:55a.]

Check-in

CO11 was scheduled to depart 12:55p from CDG 2A, so I was again exactly 2 hours early. The non-elite line (again don't ask why) had about 20 people ahead of me. Once I entered the line, the first security agent (out of 4 around) scanned my passport and put a small yellow sticker on back and initialized. Then 2nd agent asked me where I had been, who packed bags, whether it had with me all morning, etc; and then initialized that sticker. Also put small stickers on my bags.

While waiting in line, one lady further back was given more thorough questioning as she was flying back from Damascus, and had some trouble explaining to the agent how she got to CDG. [She apparently flew from Syria to AMS, then connect to CDG, or something like that.] She got a much larger red sticker on the back of her passport.

Anyways, I was checked in at 11:15a, 20 minutes after entering the line. Wasn't too bad. [CDG is one of few airports in the world that CO doesn't have online check-in.] I also checked my bag, for a change.

Passport control and primary security

AA and CO have check-in desks close to each other, next to a passport control point, so I headed that way despite a line. I should have used the one further west, as there was no line. But anyways, line was short and moved along okay. Took me 12 minutes to get through passport control and primary security.

While in line, there was a discussion between AA and CO passengers. CO has not issued any extra rules regarding carryon luggage besides those from TSA, but AA wants their passengers to put items inside their carryons in clear plastic bags. I believe AA actually handed them out at their check-in.

Boarding

Our 777-200ER was parked at A43 even before I arrived at the airport. A43 is one of the gates with jetway. [Even numbered ones in CDG 2A are bus gates.] By 12:10p, boarding seems imminent, with passengers starting to line up around the gate.

Then, an AF 747-400 pulled in to the adjacent gate A41 and started unloading passengers. Thanks to the excellent design of CDG 2, our gate was blocked in order for those passengers to get to passport control. With a fully loaded 744, and some extra security concern, we couldn't board until 12:40p. Airlines should post this on their websites: Flight delayed due to French architectural design.

Secondary screening

This is the most drastic difference since the event on 8/10. Once we got on the jetway, each passenger was subject to a pad down. One line for male, one female. The smooth-talking agent would ask question about whether one had bought or obtained other stuff since the primary checkpoints. After that, carryons are to be handchecked again by another agent.

Our flight was only about 70% full (~200 passengers), but that still took about 35 minutes to get everybody rescreened.

Flight technicals

777-200ER is N27015, the 15th of CO's 18 772s, delivered new April 2000.

Door closed 1:20p, 25 minutes late. Pushed back 1:30p and we took off 1:51p. Nothing remarkable about flight. Bumpy for the first 30 minutes or so until we were over SE England, and was very smooth all the way to Houston afterwards.

Touched down 5:00p, arrived gate 5:05, 35 minutes late. The delay was almost exactly the time lost due to CDG design.

Inflight

Once again, all A/V systems were working. Very shocking. Blankets were in sealed bag, pillow on top, and headphones handed out by FAs.

I sat in the last window seat, 44A. 44B was open. Really my favorite, as I have explained why a few times on this board. But for those sensitive to turbulence, sit further to the front. The tail can shake sideways, and some may don't like it. The rear of the plane was very empty. Some have three seats for themselves to lie down.

Lunch was pretty good, but only chicken cordon bleu with no choice. FAs walked around with water at least once an hour, and a bottle of water always there behind row 45. I hydrated myself so well that I had to visit the bathroom more often than usual.

Just over halfway, when we were above Labrador, Canada, we got ice-cream; than just before arrival, sandwiches, chips and chocolate. The catering is definitely better from CDG than from IAH. Again, a disgrace, as CO owned the catering at IAH.

IAH

Pulled in to gate D5 at 5:05. I was the last one off at 5:12. Got to immigration at 5:19 after using the bathroom. Wait is about 15 seconds, as we are the only international arrival at that time. [CO's flight from AMS followed as shortly.] First bag out at 5:26p, mine (not priority-tagged) at 5:35p. Customs wait about 30 seconds to get out of terminal.

Carrybean - I am obsessed with seat selections. I picked my seat when I booked my tickets about 3 weeks ago. Then checked back about every day during the last week.

I then started checking every few hours on 8/31 and 9/1. Because there's no chance of a complimentary upgrade on a CO international flight, there's no hurry to do online check-in. I waited until just before having to head to the airport to do it so to check the seat plans again, and can still make changes if possible.

Up until about 6 hours prior to departure, the IAH-AMS flight show a lot of empty 2-by-2 window/aisle seats, and I thought about changing over there. But then they started filling up, and my original choice of 17D is better.

Anyways, you can see that I put a lot of thoughts and effort in choosing my seats. Also for my family members when they're flying Continental.

[I don't have a computer or time to do all that for my return flight, however.]

wally - Let's get serious and not hysterical for a minute. I have flown dozens of times on US airlines since 9/11, longhaul and short.

The new announcement they make now is that you cannot congregate outside bathroom doors, and you have to use the assigned bathrooms in your cabin - i.e. Y passengers cannot use C bathrooms.

Since the dawn of air travel, way before 9/11, they've always said return to seat when the seatbelt signs are lit. In fact, all bathrooms have indicator lights to tell you to return to seats. I have never seen this enforced before or after 9/11, except when there's extreme turbulence. Otherwise, everybody have continued to use the bathrooms, myself included, when the seatbelt signs are on.

But since you asked. On the outbound flight, the seatbelt sign was turned off after we got to cruising altitude, but it was basically left on from Nova Scotia across the Atlantic to AMS, as it was a bumpy ride all the way.

Coming back, first hour over the UK was bumpy, but the lights were off from Ireland to Houston.

One more thing. On planes like CO's 767/777 with the personal video screen, the pilots really tried to keep turning the lights on/off at a minimum because everytime they turned it on, the FA has to make an announcement, interrupting the A/V service. Very annoying.

Is it really "required" that the FA make the announcement? Certainly, with a fasten seat belt light at every seat, why must they make this announcement at three in the morning when everyone is sleeping. BA did not make this announcement the last time I flew with them.

On my last flight Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco with a stop in St. Louis, the fasten seatbelt sign was still on 25 minutes after take-off. Then, the female flight attendant announced, the captain has not turned off the fasten seatbelt sign, and 30 seconds later, the male flight attendant made the same announcement.

wally - I know you have a great passion about the seat-belt signs and its enforcement. Unfortunately, I don't, and going to the bathroom has never been a problem for me! (Thank god! Well, I may not be able to say the same in, oh, 20 years. Hehehhee... )

There are three buses that go from Paris to CDG. One is the Roissybus that goes from Opera - which I haven't taken.

Air France runs two coaches and I've used both. The one I just took is from l'Etoile. The other one which I took 2 years ago, is from Montparnasse.

The one from l'Etoile departs from Avenue Carnot, on the NW side of Arch d'Triomphe. You'll see their white coaches there. They depart every 15 minutes, and then will make a stop about 5 minutes later on the side of the Concorde La Fayette Hotel at Port Maillot. Like I said, my 10:15am bus arrived CDG2A/C at 10:55am. CO's check-in counter is very close to the bus stop, which is in between 2A and 2C. Walk backwards a few steps and you're in 2A.

[If you use Google Earth or maps.google.com, you can actually see two white Air France Coaches parked on Ave Carnot at the terminus.]

For the other line from Montparnasse, it is less frequent, every 30 minutes. It then stopped at Gare de Lyon. It spent a lot more time going through Paris, so it takes at least an hour from Montparnasse, and 45min from Gare de Lyon. The terminus at Montparnasse is on the SE side of the train station, across from the Le Meridien hotel. You'll see about 4-5 buses on maps.google.com or Google Earth. Make sure you get on the one to CDG, as there's also one to Orly. [Stop at Gare de Lyon is right in front of the station.]

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As for AA, they ask/suggest their customers to put loose items in clear plastic bags inside their carryons, so to make the secondary screening faster. I believe they provide those bags at the check-in counter if you don't already have them. But otherwise, you can still take your regular carryon - same size and number. Of course, no liquid/gel, but that's universal for all flights to/from/within the US anyways.